How the Five Compare on the Numbers
The five sets split into two groups. The thetchry, Gorilla Grip and Empune sets are plastic, and each maker publishes a weight for the set: 1.4 pounds in thetchry’s field against 2.3 pounds in its own bullet, 4.25 pounds for the Gorilla Grip and 4.53 pounds for the Empune. The Sumzzz and Pexucalm boards are titanium with a plastic side, and neither maker publishes a weight. That gap matters if you plan to lift a board often or store it on a hook.
On size, the Empune set publishes the largest single board at 17.0 by 11.8 by 0.4 inches. The Gorilla Grip set publishes a largest board of 16 by 11.2 inches. The Sumzzz board publishes a 16 by 11 inch size, and the Pexucalm board publishes a 15.4 by 10.4 inch size. The thetchry set publishes all three of its own sizes, 15 by 10 inches, 11 by 8 and 9 by 6. The table below sets the figures side by side.
The table does not tell you how any board feels under a knife, how it wears after months of use, or how it sounds on a counter. No maker publishes a knife test result or a durability score. The figures above are the full published record, and where a cell reads not published, the maker states nothing.
Plastic Sets and What Their Makers Publish
Weight and size in the plastic group
The thetchry set is the lightest of the five whichever figure you take, 1.4 pounds in its weight field and 2.3 pounds in its own bullet, and the maker states three boards at 15 by 10 inches, 11 by 8 and 9 by 6, one size per kind of food. The Gorilla Grip set publishes a combined 4.25 pounds and three sizes: 16 by 11.2 inches, 13.8 by 9.6 inches and 11.8 by 8 inches, each 0.37 inches thick. The Empune set publishes 4.53 pounds and three sizes, the largest 17.0 by 11.8 by 0.4 inches.
Those figures put the Empune set at 4.53 pounds against 1.4 for the thetchry field and 4.25 for the Gorilla Grip. The Empune maker also states a juice groove on all sides of each board, while the Gorilla Grip maker states deep grooves and the thetchry maker does not state a groove. If weight is the deciding figure, the thetchry set is the one to check first.
Grip and handling in the plastic group
The Gorilla Grip maker states a slip resistant handle and rubber border on the boards, and states the boards are lightweight and easy to handle. The thetchry maker states rubber anti slip feet on both sides, so either face can be used. The Empune maker states a TPR edge handle on each board. Those three statements describe grip in different ways, and none of them comes with a published test result.
The thetchry maker states the boards are BPA free and can go in the dishwasher. The Gorilla Grip maker states the boards are BPA free and dishwasher safe, and that the material resists liquid and odor absorption. The Empune maker states the boards can be rinsed with warm water or put in the dishwasher. All three makers state a dishwasher option, which is the clearest cleaning figure in the group.
Titanium Boards and What Their Makers Publish
Published dimensions and surfaces
The Sumzzz board publishes a width of 10.79 inches, a depth of 15.55 inches and a height of 0.94 inches, with a stated size of 16 by 11 inches. The Pexucalm board publishes a width of 10.4 inches, a depth of 15.4 inches and a height of 0.5 inches, with a stated size of 15.4 by 10.4 inches. The Sumzzz board is 0.39 inches wider, 0.15 inches deeper and 0.44 inches taller than the Pexucalm board.
Both makers state a titanium surface on one side and a plastic surface on the other. The Sumzzz maker states the titanium surface is non porous and helps reduce the absorption of liquids, odors and stains. The Pexucalm maker states the titanium surface has a matte texture finish that helps conceal minor knife marks and scratches. Neither maker publishes a weight for the board.
Features stated for each titanium board
The Sumzzz maker states a built-in juice groove and a garlic grinding area, and states the board is double sided, with one side for meat and one for fruits and vegetables. The Pexucalm maker states a deep juice groove on the wheat straw side and a built-in garlic grinder zone. Both makers state a hanging hole or a way to store the board, and both state the board can be rinsed clean with water.
The Pexucalm maker states the entire edge is encased in high grip silicone, which is a different grip statement from the Sumzzz board, whose maker does not state an edge grip. The Pexucalm maker also states the silicone reduces the noise associated with metal on counter contact. Neither maker states dishwasher safe, so a buyer who wants that should look at the three plastic sets.
Separating Raw and Ready Food
Three boards, or one board with two faces
The two groups answer cross contamination differently. thetchry, Gorilla Grip and Empune each supply three boards in different sizes, and thetchry and Empune both tie a size to a kind of food: meat and fish on the large board, vegetables and fruit on the medium, onions and peppers on the small. Three boards also means three things to wash and store, and thetchry suggests telling them apart by size or color.
The Sumzzz and Pexucalm boards do it with one object and two faces. Sumzzz states one side for meat and the other for fruits and vegetables. Pexucalm makes the two faces different materials, titanium for raw meat and seafood and a wheat straw plastic side it calls softer for vegetables and fruit. thetchry is reversible too, with anti slip feet on both faces and an anti slip particle area on one of them.
Thickness, grooves and grinding areas
Only two makers publish a thickness for every board they sell. Gorilla Grip states 0.37 inches for each of its three. Empune publishes 0.4 inches for its largest and 0.35 inches for the other two. The titanium boards publish a height field instead, 0.94 inches for the Sumzzz and 0.5 inches for the Pexucalm, and neither maker says how much of that figure is board and how much is the edging around it.
Four of the five state a juice groove and the wording differs every time. Gorilla Grip states deep grooves, Empune a groove on all sides of every board, Sumzzz a built-in groove, and Pexucalm a deep groove on the wheat straw side only. thetchry states none, and offers a triangular handle for hanging instead. Both titanium boards also state a garlic grinding area, which nothing in the plastic group offers.
Which One Fits Your Kitchen
Buyer who wants the lightest set. The thetchry set is the lightest of the five, at 1.4 pounds in its field and 2.3 pounds in its own bullet, with boards of 15 by 10 inches, 11 by 8 and 9 by 6. That is the set to check if you lift a board often or store it on a hook.
Buyer who wants a slip resistant handle. The Gorilla Grip maker states a slip resistant handle and rubber border, and publishes a combined 4.25 pounds with three sizes. That is the set to check if grip on the counter is the deciding feature.
Buyer who wants a juice groove on all sides. The Empune maker states a juice groove on all sides of each board and publishes three sizes, the largest 17.0 by 11.8 by 0.4 inches. That is the set to check if you cook with juicy foods.
Buyer who wants a titanium board with a garlic area. The Sumzzz board publishes a 16 by 11 inch size and a 0.94 inch height, and the maker states a garlic grinding area and a juice groove. That is the board to check if you want a titanium surface.
Buyer who wants a titanium board with edge grip. The Pexucalm board publishes a 15.4 by 10.4 inch size and a 0.5 inch height, and the maker states the entire edge is encased in high grip silicone. That is the board to check if stability is the deciding feature.
What We Could Not Verify
No one at Lush has used these boards. The figures below are the ones we went looking for and could not source from the makers.
- A thickness for any thetchry board, which publishes three face sizes and no figure for how thick they are.
- An overall figure for the Gorilla Grip set, which publishes a size for each of its three boards and nothing for the stack.
- A figure for the Empune set as a whole: its dimension fields repeat its largest board, 11.8 by 17.0 by 0.4 inches.
- The Sumzzz maker does not publish a weight for the board.
- The Pexucalm maker does not publish a weight for the board.
- No maker publishes a knife test result, a durability score or a thickness for the titanium boards.
